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Bannock County, ID Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)

Significant Restrictions

Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Permit required: Before keeping any dangerous animal
Base permit fee: $250.00 per year
Wolf hybrid surcharge: $50.00 per animal per year
Liability insurance: $500,000 per occurrence per animal
Multiple/commercial keepers: Must hold current USDA license
Enclosure: 8-ft fence with overhang or roof

Summary

Keeping a lion, bear, wolf hybrid or other dangerous exotic animal as a pet in unincorporated Bannock County requires a county permit, a $250 annual fee and $500,000 in liability insurance per animal before the permit can issue.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Bannock County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

Any person who desires to keep, maintain or have in his or her possession or under his or her control any dangerous animal must first apply for and obtain a permit from the county, and pay any applicable fee for the issuing of such permit. A ... ny person desiring to keep one dangerous animal, as a pet, with no intent to exhibit, breed or show the animal, may apply for a permit pursuant to the regulations which shall be established and made a part of this chapter. The fee for such permit shall be two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00) per year, unless amended by regulation. In the case of wolves or wolf hybrids an additional fee of fifty dollars ($50.00) will be assessed for each animal over one being kept on the site per year. ... As prerequisite to the issuance of any permit for the keeping of a dangerous animal, the applicant shall provide proof of liability insurance in at least the sum of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000.00) per occurrence per animal. ... It is a violation of this chapter to fail to make application for permit, or to hold any animal without obtaining the required permit.

View official code

Full Breakdown

Bannock County Code § 6.04.050 requires anyone who wants to keep, maintain or possess a dangerous animal, defined in § 6.04.030 to include big cats, bears, wolves, wolf hybrids, nonhuman primates, crocodiles, alligators and poisonous reptiles, to first apply for and obtain a county permit and pay the applicable fee. A person keeping a single dangerous animal purely as a pet, with no plan to exhibit, breed or show it, pays $250.00 per year, with an added $50.00 per year for each wolf or wolf hybrid beyond the first.

Anyone wanting to keep more than one dangerous animal, or to exhibit, breed or commercially sell them, must first show current USDA licensure before Bannock County will issue any permit. Every applicant must consent to inspection of the premises by the sheriff or another appointed inspector, and before any permit issues must show proof of liability insurance of at least $500,000.00 per occurrence per animal. Confinement standards require an eight-foot fence with a two-foot infacing overhang or full roof, plus a four-foot chain-link (or equivalent) setback perimeter fence, and it is separately unlawful to keep any dangerous animal, including a wolf hybrid, chained or roped as its primary containment (§ 6.04.070).

The seven-member dangerous animal control board, created by § 6.04.040, sets the licensing regulations and standards for granting or denying permits, subject to county commissioner approval.

Violations & Fines

It is a violation of Chapter 6.04 to keep a dangerous animal without first applying for and obtaining the required permit, or to violate any regulation on housing, care or permitting of such animals (§ 6.04.100(A)-(B)). A violation is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $300.00 fine, up to six months in jail, or both, with each animal held in noncompliance a separate offense, and the county may revoke the permit and confiscate or destroy the animal (§ 6.04.100(C), (E)). Letting a permitted animal escape, or abandoning it in the county, is a further violation requiring immediate notice to authorities (§ 6.04.100(D)).

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I keep a lion or wolf hybrid as a pet in unincorporated Bannock County?

Only with a county permit under § 6.04.050. A single dangerous animal kept purely as a pet costs $250.00 per year in permit fees, plus $50.00 per year for each wolf or wolf hybrid beyond the first, and requires $500,000 in per-animal liability insurance before the permit can issue.

Do I need a USDA license to keep exotic animals in Bannock County?

Only if you want more than one dangerous animal, or intend to exhibit, breed, or sell them commercially. Section 6.04.050(B) requires proof of current USDA licensure before the county will issue that kind of permit, on top of the standard fees and insurance.

What happens if I keep a dangerous animal without a Bannock County permit?

Section 6.04.100 makes it a misdemeanor, punishable by up to a $300.00 fine, up to six months in jail, or both, with each animal held in noncompliance a separate offense; the county can also revoke any permit and confiscate or destroy the animal.

Sources & Official References

[1]Bannock County Code, Chapter 6.04 - Control of Dangerous Animals

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All Bannock County rules

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